This paper develops a conceptual framework for integrating gig-economy workers (“gig nodes”) into traditional organizational development (OD) processes. It aims to address the current gap in OD models that largely exclude freelancers and platform-based labor by specifying mechanisms to align gig workers’ identities, foster community bonding and enable effective knowledge transfer within fluid workforce architectures.
Using a bibliographic (scoping review) method, the author systematically synthesize literature from OD, gig‐economy studies and boundary‐spanning theory. The author identify thematic clusters and derive propositions for embedding gig nodes into existing OD stages entry, development and exit culminating in a multi‐layered integration framework.
The proposed framework comprises three interlocking dimensions: Identity Integration aligning gig workers’ self-concept with organizational culture; Community Bonding leveraging virtual and in-person rituals to foster belonging; and Knowledge Transfer establishing codified and social-learning channels. The author also outline boundary-spanning roles and feedback loops that sustain engagement and performance.
This is among the first studies to offer a theory-driven OD model tailored to gig-economy contexts. By merging bibliographic insights with boundary-spanning concepts, it extends OD scholarship to accommodate decentralized, project-based labor. Practitioners gain actionable design principles for inclusive change interventions, while researchers receive a foundation for empirical validation.
